California Adventure

Entry 3

August 5, 2015

Yesterday morning, I went to Stough Canyon as planned and was able to see downtown Los Angeles. My mind's eye wanted a night shot, but I decided that mid-morning was workable. The hike was rather short and took under an hour round trip. At the trailhead, I met a nice girl from Tokyo who gave me a rundown on what to expect. I asked her about shopping in the area and explained that I wanted to visit a unique little shopping area before heading back north for the wilderness. She mentioned that Old Town Pasadena was an area with some unique little boutiques. There were other suggestions as well, but I latched onto this one - using my sixth sense to read her suggestions with a filter.

Sure enough, Old Town Pasadena had just the charm I needed for a change of pace. For this hike, no backpack was required. I parked at the Old School Public Parking Deck and set out with my little black purse (a souvenir treat from Mammoth). As I wandered the streets, I saw a large movie crew and asked what was going on. There were several large 18-wheelers unloading various things. A woman told me they were filming in one of the old buildings. Eventually, I came to the shop called . It's a designer resale clothing store. There, I found a colorful little silk dress perfect for my last Saturday night outing in California. It's silk knit so I can tuck it in a bag without consequence.

After my successful treasure hunt, I stopped in at and decided to have dessert for lunch. I glanced at the menu and saw that the decision of WHICH dessert to have might not be so easy. The bread pudding was calling my name. When I asked the bartender about his preferences, my choice was confirmed. It was the perfect lunch for a city hike! I had walked a few miles without doing too much monetary damage so I called it a day and hopped on the freeway in route to Bakersfield.

When I arrived in Bakersfield, it was fairly early so I sported around, found a room, and went out for Mexican food. Vik (the manager at the hotel where I booked a room) shared his thoughts about where I should go. He told me that Alex, the manager at , would make sure my dinner was perfect. The Cabo enchiladas were delicious...for dinner...and as I write, for breakfast. While at the Camino Real, I met some interesting folks. A lady from Guadalajara named Marisol and her uncle, Frank. In our conversations, I listened to Frank's story about being a long-distance runner from McFarland. It was a good time and I got some cultural inside scoop from Marisol on the best way to drink tequila. She explained that silver tequila and squirt with fresh lime juice makes the perfect drink without too much sweet or sour. According to her, this is a preferred drink in Guadalajara.

Now, it is time to pack up and head north...gearing up (literally, lol) for some of the most beautiful wilderness yet! Sequoia trees, crystal caves, and huge canyons are on the list...yay!

Today's Lessons:

Don't rely on GPS. Find a good WIFI signal, look up where you are headed, write down the route, then go. Otherwise, the signal fades in and out, gives bad information, and one may not end up at the planned destination.

Always consider that the location you put in your GPS may be the name of a place and the name of a street elsewhere. One MAY end up on Camino Real Road across town instead of at Camino Real Restaurant just a couple miles down the street. Ha, ha...surely this didn't happen to ME!